Babies are only little so they can’t take up that much space, right? Well although your new little person might be only tiny, what nobody warns you is that the amount of stuff you need to look after them is considerable. If you live in a modern house, or are limited in how much space you have available, you can soon become swamped in cot bedding, toys and baby baths. It is possible though to keep the clutter under control with some clever space saving ideas.

Cot

Your baby will need somewhere to sleep, and the temptation is to go for the smallest cot available to save space. However this can be false economy and as babies grow at an alarming rate, it won’t be long before your baby has grown out of their cot and needs something bigger. Instead invest in a cot bed which will do your child for longer, and look for one which is higher off the floor. Invest in drawers or boxes on castors which can be pushed under the bed and made the ideal storage place for bedding and nappies.

Changing

Many retailers try to convince new parents that a special changing unit is an essential, and if you have plenty of space these can be a useful piece of furniture. If you are more limited for space though consider buying something like a low chest of drawers which can be used to store your baby’s clothes and then sit a changing mat on the top. Alternatively, if you are really pushed for space, there is nothing wrong with using a changing mat on the floor.

Seating and Storage

Most mums like to have somewhere to sit in their baby’s room, either for reading bedtime stories as they get older, or for those night feeds when you don’t want to disturb the baby by moving them too far. Instead of opting for an armchair, look for a bench type seat which can be made more comfortable with cushions on the top but which can be lifted up and used as storage for toys or other equipment.

Shelves

Rather than opting for a freestanding set of shelves, look for a corner set. Corners of the nursery are often neglected and having a tall set of corner shelves can be a really efficient way to use up this space. Nursery supplies companies often have sets of these sorts of shelves, or alternatively buy a second hand set and paint them to match your baby’s colour scheme.

Shop Smart

If you know you have a small space to work with, try not to get carried away with purchasing lots of things for your baby before they arrive. Large wardrobes aren’t really essential for a nursery as the vast majority of baby clothes can be folded, and hanging in a wardrobe means a huge amount of unused space, whatever the nursery supplies companies tell you. Buy plain, simple furniture so it makes it easy to add to the range when the baby grows, and don’t be tempted to hang on to items like small cots when they are no longer used; put them in the loft or garage to save more space.

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Article by mother of three Morag Peers